16 things you should always make in a slow cooker

Madeline Diamond,Caroline FoxJul 5, 2020, 20:34 IST

You can make a healthy batch of oatmeal in your slow cooker.Peter Kramer/NBC/NBC Newswire/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

If you are looking to keep cool and steer clear of your ovens and stoves this summer, slow cookers are a great tool to help you create flavorful dishes with minimal effort.
Using a long cooking process, slow cookers draw out flavors, making for extra dinners, desserts, and even side dips.

Now that it's summer, turning on your hot stovetop or oven every night to cook might be the last thing you want to do. Especially if you've been cooking more than usual these past few months, slow cookers are a great option to finally give yourself a break from the kitchen.

Oftentimes, slow cookers are associated with winter soups and stews. But, there are plenty of summer fruits and vegetables that taste even better when cooked using the "low and slow" method of this handy kitchen appliance, which draws out the flavor and requires little hands-on work.

Keep reading for 16 things you should always make in a slow cooker.

Pulled meats, including pork and chicken become so much more flavorful in a slow cooker.

Pulled pork sandwiches are perfect for a summer barbeque. Darryl Brooks/Shutterstock

Start your morning off with homemade oatmeal to fuel your day.

Breakfast oatmeal keeps you full for hours. Mikhaila Friel/Insider

Quinoa can be bland, but cooking it in the slow cooker is the perfect opportunity to spice it up.

Quinoa and vegetables will keep you full for hours. Losangela/Shutterstock

Stuffing your peppers with just a few simple ingredients elevates your dinner to a 10.

A red bell pepper stuffed with minced pork and beef meat, covered with melted cheese. Anna Kurzaeva/Getty Images

Hearty vegetables that are sometimes difficult to cook are simple and low-maintenance when done in a slow cooker.

Let your veggies cook for hours and soak up all the seasoning and flavor. Anna Hoychuk/Shutterstock

You can make fancy cobblers and crisps with fresh summer fruit.

Impress your family and friends with a world-class blueberry cobbler. NightAndDayImages/Getty Images

Instead of buying packaged dips, just add a few ingredients into the pot and you are good to go.

Spinach and artichoke dip is one of the easiest recipes to make. val lawless/Shutterstock

Paella can be an intimidating recipe to follow, but making it in a slow cooker is easy, only requiring about 20 minutes of work.

Maybe you've only tried paella at a restaurant and never at home. Well, now is your chance. Getty Images

Fruit sauces and butters taste way better when they are homemade, and are also way less expensive than buying a packaged version from the store.

Homemade applesauce is a better alternative to the store-bought version. Moving Moment/Shutterstock

Even if it's summer, sometimes you just want an easy, flavorful soup.

A slow cooker also acts as your serving dish. Lighttraveler/Shutterstock

If you have kids running around, making them a large batch of baked macaroni and cheese in the slow cooker is easy, and way more flavorful than a box mix.

Once you try homemade mac and cheese, you'll never want to eat the boxed version. Grassmemo/Shutterstock

Instead of roasting meatballs, just stick them into your slow cooker.

Meatballs garnished with parsley and cheese. MariaKovaleva/Shutterstock

Casseroles are great for meal prepping, saving you time and keeping your health on track all week.

A hashbrown casserole will satisfy all your cravings in the morning. Sia-James/Shutterstock

Bone broth is a big health craze these days, but can actually easily be made at home in a slow cooker.

A bowl of bone broth is loaded with nutrients. Madeleine Steinbach/Shutterstock

Mashed potatoes can be labor-intensive when made from scratch, but super easy when done in a slow cooker.

Garnish your potatoes to make them look even fancier. Larry Crowe/AP Images

Make a perfectly layered and gooey lasagna in your slow cooker with little to no effort.

Your lasagna has never tasted more flavorful. Shutterstock

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